St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-18

Z L U
5 ExSlS4. ~ songster has in
| ssSsS-t IN creased tenfold.
l E%A but the price has
AStsy [5 been kept down
@3A IL by the breeding
IT of the birds in
\ ~ 4sszaasaE this country.
I The lar S
nulM.er OF calaries come from the Hartz
mountains, in Germany. Not many
years ago excessive prices were OBJ
taineu .sor them. Lately canary bird
breeding has become popular.and scores
of aviaries can be cOlnt0,..
The breeding of the little sOngsteTSs Is
most fascinating pastime, aside from
the fact that it is a very profitable one
when properly conducted.
MATING THE BIRDS.
In the first place the birds should
be mated in January, February,
March, April or May. An ordinary
breeding cage, which can be bought Tor
a couple of dollars, should be hung
about five feet from the floor. This cage
should be provided with piece of cut
tie fish for the formation of the egg
shell, and deer'S OF cows hair to pro-
vide material for building the nest.
The seed diet of the mated birds should
be added to by a mixture of the yolk of
a hard-boiled egg and finely rolled
cracker. The hair should not be put in
the cage until the male bird commences
to feed the female, and then only in
small quantities, as the birds will seat
ter it and render it unfit for use. After
the birds have been together for one
week the hen will lay one egg each day
until she has from four to six in her nest.
These will hatch out in from fourteen
~, - r,cl,r
be disturbed during the period of incu-
baton. Sometimes both birds will
break the eggs. If such vice is developed
a bountiful supply of egg and bread
should be given them. If this does not
break them of the habit the eggs should
be taken from the nest and chalk dunn
mics substituted. When the hen ceases
to lay the real eggs can be returned to
her, and she will hatch them.
Before the Matching of the birds plenty,
of egg and crackers should be given the
setting hen, and this diet should be kept
up until the little ones are able to care
for themselves, when they shoiild be-
placed in separate cage. After they
are month old seed can be placed in a;
cage, still keeping up the egg diet, and
in two weeks the chicks will find out
what the seed is for and begin to crack
u.
determined when they are two or three
weeks old, for at that age the male COM
mence swelling their Threats in an at,
tempt to MARBLE. Il
To make acceptable songsters of the
young birds they should be placed in
separate cages with muslin coverings,
so that they will be able to get light, but
not be able to see any objects outside of
their cages. Fine singing birds should
be kept near them. If nightingales,
linnetS, SkylarkS, Andreashen rollers or
other trained canarieS are used as train
ers, the young birds will acquire the
fine notes of some and probably COM
binatiOn of all.
y Hens while breeding will often desert
their young if too much meddling is al
lowed, or sometimes when strangers at
tempt to peer into their nests. The fir
will kill the bird in the egg When the
young birds are fourteen days old they
should be put in clean nest.
HOW TO GET BRIGHT COLORS.
To produce handsome yellow birds
the male should be pale yellow and
the female deep yellow. A notified
bird will be the result, if the hen is a
very deep green. The cinnamon bird is
highly priced. 1t is the result of
mating a deep yellow male with deep
green or brown female. Bald or male
formed birds are produced by mating
crested birds and this should never be
done. Only the best singers should be
mated, and if st. AndreaSberg hen is
used fine brown bird, and one that
will prove to be beautiful singer, will
be produced. An artificial colOring,
which is now very fashionable, can be
produced by feeding cayenne to he
young birds at their second moult.
Birds thus cOlOred command good
prices. Many breeders have unSuccess-
fully tried to breed mule BIRDS This is
very difficult and nearly every attempt
ends in failure. The birds should be
mated in May and male linnet should
be used with a finely bred can
airy hen. The mule thus produced
will command high figure. The
mule can be more easily bred
with either male or female goldfinch.
These birds make beautiful songsters,
and are of very fine plumage. The bull
finch, the greenfinch, the SiSkin and the
chafinch, also mate with the canary,
ing are not valuable. The canaries
bred in this country are not as fine or
constant singers as the German birds.
This is because the breeders do not OBJ
serve the proper method of breeding or
observe enough care in the selection of
the birds to be mated.
OTHER VARIETIES.
The Norwich canary is melodious
singer and is one of the hardest of
birds, and will stand greater degree of
cold than any other. They are mostly
of deep orange color, but sometimes
buff and green. The French canary
has ruffied breast, and is bred in all
colOrs. They do not rank high as sing
ers. The Scotch canary is another vari-
ETY.. They come from Scotland, and
rank with the French birds as singers.
The Belgian canary is the most delicate.
and possibly the highest-prized variety.
It's voice is weak and wavering, and it's
song short, but it is priced for
the attachment it forms for the
person who cares for it. The London
fancy canary is only an ordinary war
bier, and they are bred more for their
beauty than their song. The Lizard
canary, so named from the resemblance
of its plumage to the colors of the lizard.
is held in high esteem. They are hand
some in appearance, but not valuable as
sOngsters. The Manchester COPY is
the largest bird of any variety, and is
handsome and graceful.
Any of these varieties can be success
fully bred from in this latitude if care is
observed. The seed grown in Sicily and
Spain is the best to feed the birds. In
ferior seed is poor economy, and to this
alone is due nearly every ailment the
canary is subject to. Birds should NOT
be fed lump sugar or other delicacies.
They. will eat such things very readily.
but it impairs their health and ruins
their song: Never hang your birds In a
room that is warm during the day and
cold at night. Many fine birds are killed
in this way. During the period of
moulting bird mama or bird bitters
should be given the little sufferers who
are weak and Out 0f cpfrito fro,,, al =